Pinnacles & Sand Boarding

THE PINNACLES (Western Australia) 

Nickname : ROCK STARS IN THE OUTBACK

Formed 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the Indian Oceans coastal winds eroded the surrounding sand, leaving the limestone pillars exposed to the elements.

Area : Covers an area of 17,487 hectares

Heights : From centimeters in size up to 5 meters

SAND BOARDING 

10 most famous landmarks in Taiwan

10 Most Famous Landmarks in Taiwan

1. Taipei 101

Taipei 101, one of the world's most famous skyscrapers and the well known landmark of Taiwan, situated in the commercial heart of Taipei City. Standing at a height of 508 m, the world second highest building after the Burf Khalifa of Dubai. Taipei 101 is a combination of the financial power of Taiwan and classic Taiwanese architecture. The building is constructed to represent a shoot of bamboo, the interior of the building is a mix of commercial and business properties. Beside the Taiwan's biggest business and some finest dining, Taipei 101 also offers opportunities for visitors to observe the panoramic views of the Taipei City and the island itself, either at indoor or outdoor observation decks in 89th and 91st floor respectively. Each night, the skin of the building displays one of seven spectrum colours of light and a bright yellow gleam from its pinnacle casts Taipei 101 in the role of a candle or torch upholding the ideals of liberty and welcome.



2. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, one of the most important monuments in Taiwan, was built to commemorate the life of the former president of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai Shek, in 1976 and officially opened in 1980. Located in the city of Taipei, the Memorial Hall is built inside a walled complex, which is called as Liberty Square, with nicely landscaped gardens, ponds and walkways. The Memorial Hall is in gleaming white marble and topped by an octagonal roof of brilliant blue-glazed which can be seen on the major archways that lead into the square. Inside the main hall contains a large bronze statue of Chiang Kai Shek which is shown smiling, seated and wearing traditional costume. The memorial statue and hall is on the upper level while the lower level of the Liberty Square contains the National Theater and National Concert Hall, which are two great venues for the performing arts regularly featuring famous artists from Taiwan and abroad.

3. National Palace Museum

National Palace Museum is one of the best art museums in the world with more than three million visitors annually. The museum is home to almost 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the world's largest collection of Chinese arts. Due to the large number of collections, the items display in the museum are rotated once every three months in order to let the public has the chances to see most of them. Ancient bronze castings, gold items, jade, porcelains and potteries, lacquer ware, textiles, carvings, art of writing, scroll paintings and rare books are exhibited here, some of the collections are from prehistoric times dating back to more than five thousand years. During the month of October, the museum displays some very rare and exquisite artifacts, making it the best time to visit.

4. Longshan Temple

Longshan Temple, an old and famous temple in Taipei City, was built in 1738 for worshiping Guanshiyin, the Goddess of Mercy, and other divine spirits. The temple had been destroyed several times by natural disasters and war, but already returned to its origin after the restoration. Longshan Temple  is divided into front hall, main hall, rear hall, right wing and left wing. Inside the temple there are hundred of statues of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian deities. On each 1st and 15th day each month of lunar year, regular visitors will come to the temple for worship ceremony. The temple is not only a place for worship, it is also a sightseeing attraction and a second-degree historical site which attracts hundreds of thousands of domestic and international tourists each year.

5. Queen's Head of Yehliu Geopark

Yehliu Geopark, located in a cape of Wanli District of New Taipei City in Northern Taiwan, is a famous tourist spots for its fascinating natural rock formations. The cape, roughly 1,700 m long and 200 m wide with the narrowest part 50 m, was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea. A distinctive feature of the cape is the different shapes and sizes of hoodoo stones which were formed by the seawater erosion after a prolonged period of time without any artificial sculpturing. Some of the rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes. The most well-known is the Queen's Head rock, a landmark in Yehliu and Taiwan as well. Other formations include the Fairy Shoe rock, Bee Hive rock, angel’s sandal, mushroom rock, honeycomb rock, bean curd rock, candlestick rock, ginger rock and many. These unique landscapes are magnificent works of mother nature and are among some of the most spectacular sights in the world.

6. Taroka National Park

Taroko National Park, famous for its scenic marble-walled gorges, is located in Hualien County, Eastern Taiwan. It was established in 1986 for the purpose of protecting the natural scenery, historical relics and wildlife. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors both local and abroad come to the Taroko National Park to witness its vertical marble walls, spectacular mountains and gorges, sheer precipices and contorted tunnels along the route of the Liwu River. The most spectacular scenery is from Swallow Grotto to the Cihmu Bridge by traversing the beautiful Tunnel of Nine Turns. Eternal Spring Shrine is a landmark and memorial shrine which must not be missed. The major picturesque points of the park is the famous Baiyang Waterfall and the Qingshui Cliff. Both are the perfect expressions of the topographic natural wonder of Taroko National Park.  

7. Alisan National Scenic Area

Alishan National Scenic Area, located in Chiayi County in southern Taiwan, is a mountain resort and nature preserve area. The 415 km² area includes mountain wilderness with wide variety of plants and animals, Alishan Forest Railway, villages, waterfalls, high mountain Alishan tea and wasabi plantations, beautiful sunrise and sunset sceneries, sea of clouds and several hiking trails that make Alishan becomes one of the most famous tourist destinations and major landmark in Taiwan as well as international.   

8. Sun Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake, situated in Yuchi, Nantou province, is one of the most beautiful and famous tourist destinations in Taiwan and Asia as well. The largest lake in Taiwan with a total surface area of 7.93 km² and shaped like an irregular rhombus. The eastern part of the Sun Moon Lake looks like a round sun while the western part resembles a crescent moon. Hence, it was named “Sun Moon Lake.” The lake is known for its turquoise water and surrounding green mountains. The calm water of the lake reflects the mountains which rise on all sides giving the impression of a Chinese landscape painting. Its natural beauty is enhanced by numerous cultural and historical sites, and is a favourite destination for domestic and international tourists.

9. Taichung Park

Taichung Park is located on the site of the original settlement that predates the founding of Taichung City, making it one of the longest-standing landmarks in the city. The park itself was established over 100 years ago during the Ching Dynasty and was developed further under the Japanese colonial authorities, who completed it in 1903 and built the park's famous pavilions as a special residence for the visiting Japanese crown prince. More than any other landmark, the distinctive pavilions remain the most enduring symbol of Taichung City. The park remains a popular destination for residents, particularly on weekends, who come to enjoy its small lake, row boating, and various tree-lined paths. During traditional festivals, such as Lantern Festival and Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival, the park is frequently the site of folk performances and displays.

10. Chihkan Tower

Chihkan or Chikan Tower, formerly known as Fort Provintia, is one of the famous historic site and landmark in Tainan as well as Taiwan. It was built during the Dutch colonial in 1653. Since 1945, the fort was known as '' Red-topped Tower'' where the name derived from the Taiwanese aboriginal word ''Chakam''. Today, Chikan Tower is its official name. Even though Chihkan Tower has gone through different historical periods, but still remains its rich and graceful architectural aspects. Crammed with various kinds of steles, stone horses, weight lifting rocks, stone weights, and nine stone tortoises carrying royal stele carved in both Chinese and Manchurian, the courtyard looks like an outdoor museum.

10 Great Holiday Destinations in Malaysia

1. Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, better known as KL, is a successful capital city of Malaysia where the charm of its colonial past has been well retained. A mix of old and new, KL features some of the world's highest buildings and diversity of religious buildings and grand colonial structures interspersed by attractive and welcoming gardens and parks. This modern city has boasts numerous worthwhile attractions and iconic landmarks, including the enormous Petronas Twin Towers and equally impressive KL Tower. Merdeka Square is the core of KL's historical buildings which has significant historical importance for every Malaysian. While, nearby Chinatown adds that extra kick to KL's already multicultural persona. There's also a Little India in KL, around the area occupied by Jame Mosque, where you'll find flower stalls, Indian Muslim and Malay costumes, and traditional items. The Lake Gardens, a large sanctuary that houses Kuala Lumpur's bird park, butterfly park, National Museum, National Mosque, Orchid Garden, Hibiscus Garden and other attractions, is one of most tourists visited places.

The so called 'Golden Triangle' is a large area that encompasses a number of major streets which bordered by three roads, Imbi, Sultan Ismail and Raja Chulan. This area consists many shopping malls, shops and outlets, bars and restaurants, world class hotels and many high-rise and commercial buildings, especially in the area of Bukit Bintang Street.  KL is dotted with numerous sites of religious importance. On of the most famous location is Batu Caves where tourists may have the opportunity to witness the ancient traditions of the Thaipusam festival (usually in late January or early February each year). A visit to the Chinese Thean Hou Temple is also a great choice. As the addition, a journey with an hour drive to Genting Highland to enjoy the fun of indoor and outdoor theme parks and casino facilities with a cooler climate, is the bonus attraction to those who visits KL.           

2. Penang Island

The island of Penang (also known as ''Pearl of the Orient'') is one of most iconic tourist destination in northwestern coast of Peninsula Malaysia. This small island renowned as top holiday destination in Southeast Asia through its natural beauty, unique cultural heritage, delightful cuisines and a great shopping paradise. The main tourist attractions include the scenic views of this fascinating island from Penang Hill, beautiful sandy beaches in Batu Ferringhi, famous Penang Butterfly Farm, Tropical Spice Garden and Tropical Fruit Farm in Teluk Bahang and enjoy a natural beauty of coastal hill dipterocarps, mangrove forest, beaches and rocky shores in Penang National Park. Georgetown is the capital of Penang state and listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in July 2008. This capital city is rich of heritage and historical buildings includes the famous Khoo Kongsi, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Fort Cornwallis and more. The Penang Island also home to many popular religious buildings such as Kapitan Keling Mosque, Kek Lok Si Temple, Mahamariamman Temple, St. George Church, Wat Chaiyamangkalaram Temple and others. Due to the unlimited  tourist attraction, millions of tourists around the region continuously visiting this lovely island each year without any disappointment.

3. Cameron Highland

Cameron Highlands is located in Pahang state is one of Malaysia's top tourist destinations, a collection of peaceful townships perched 1500 meters high on a nest of Titiwangsa Mountain Range. Cooling resorts, tea plantations, strawberry farms, flower farms and other vegetable farms sprawl lazily across lush valleys and meandering hillslopes, the perfect setting for a relaxing holiday. The beautiful tranquil tea plantation, pleasant landscapes and cold climate impart a special experience upon the multitudes of visitors each year. Meanwhile, a different world lies hidden away among the natural surroundings - a rainforest ecosystem rich with the wonders of nature, long held with fascination by researchers and naturalists across the world.

4. Langkawi Island

Officially called as Langkawi, is an archipelago of 100 islands, about 30 km off the coast of northwest Malaysia. These islands with beautiful tropical beaches, soothing breeze, crystal clear waters, rich and varied marine life, delicious seafood and plenty of leisure options, have become a good holiday spot for family vacationers, leisure travellers, adventure seekers as well as honeymooners. To enhance the interesting, Langkawi is also a tax-free island with offers a fantastic opportunity to do extensive shopping. Along with local handicrafts especially 'Batik' silk prints, there are numerous shops selling clothes, jewellery, paintings and much more. Langkawi delights the taste buds of the tourists with lip-smacking seafood along with some of the finest cuisines of the world. In addition, the plethora of leisure activities enthrals the visitors a lot. Due to the unlimited attractions provided by these lovely islands, Langkawi has become 'a must visit tourist destination' while travelling to Malaysia.

5. Taman Negara National Park

Taman Negara National Park is a perfect holiday destination to those who loves the nature of rainforest. This national park is one of the oldest unspoilt rainforests in the world, and it is estimated to have evolved over 130 million years. Spanning an area of 4,343 square km with largely encompassing Pahang states and also straddles the borders of two other states, Kelantan and Terengganu, Taman Negara is the largest park and the most extensive protected rainforest area in Malaysia. It is home to more than 10,000 species of plants, 350 species of birds and local mammals including mouse deer, barking deer, tapirs, wild boars, elephants, leopards, tigers, and monkeys. The Peninsular Malaysia’s highest mountain in the Tahan Range, namely, Gunung Tahan at 2,187m is also located in this area. Each year, many travellers and adventure seekers come far away to explore and experience its natural treasures of unspoilt verdant jungles, rivers and mountains. The park is a great place to enjoy trekking along the network of jungle trails with expert guides available. Other activities include bird watching, cave exploration, white-water rafting, guided nature walks, fishing and mountain climbing.

6. Perhentian Island

Perhentian Island (or Pulau Perhentian in Malay language) locating just 21km off the northeast coast of Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia, this beautiful island is famous for its palm-fringed white sandy beaches, turquoise blue sea and a laid back lifestyle. The island comprises Pulau Perhentian Besar (The Big Island) and Pulau Perhentian Kecil (The Small Island). The island is accessible from the small fishing port of Kuala Besut via a 40-minute sea journey by speedboat. The islands have a number of activities on its beaches and forests, with the most popular being snorkeling and scuba diving. The more relaxing pursuits are sunbathing and swimming and, apart from these, the island also offers activities like canoeing, jungle trekking, fishing and island hopping. Owing to the islands' protected status, the main tourist activities have minimal environmental impact. This makes Pulau Perhentian famous in the region for its stunning preserved natural world and diverse marine life.

7. Kinabalu National Park

Kinabalu National Park is Sabah’s oldest park and covers an area of 745 square km around Mount Kinabalu and encompasses a variety of habitats, elevations and vegetation zones. It was designated as a protected national park in 1964, and later in 2000 it was marked as Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the incredible richness of its tropical rainforests and biodiversity combined with its unique geological, topographical and climatic conditions. There are six major topographical features occur within the park. These include peaks and plateaus, gullies, rivers, streams, waterfalls, hot springs, caves and granitic slabs. The main attraction in this national park is Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia which is 4,095 m above sea level. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come from different regions to experience the fascinating of this national park where there is no other place on the earth.

8. Malacca

Malacca is one of Malaysia's most popular tourist destinations due to its historical wealth. It was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site title in 2008 and has seen an enormous redevelopment and influx of visitors. Located down in the south-west of the Malay Peninsula, Malacca has a quaint river flowing through its centre and an enviable coastal positioning. This historical city was loaded with numerous monuments and old buildings long time ago from past colonial powers; Portuguese, Dutch and British. Until now, they are all well preserved. Among them are Stadhuys (oldest Dutch building), Christ Church (Dutch church), Red Square, Porta de Santiago or A Formosa (old Portuguese fort) and St. Paul's Church (originally built by Portuguese, after Dutch siege it became St. Paul's). A part from that, Malacca city also boasts decent shopping, a noticeable night-time tourism buzz, river cruise with much of the activity being centred around the vibrant districts of Chinatown (especially around the Jonker Walk Night Market), Bukit China and Little India, as well as along the Jalan Taman Melaka Raya. Due to its historical attraction and state government's effort has leading Malacca as one of the well known tourist destination around the world. 

9. Gunung Mulu National Park  

Gunung Mulu National Park is another UNESCO World Heritage Site with an area of 52,864 hectares, located deep in Sarawak state where lie the world most spectacular caves. Over millennia the flow of water draining from the slopes of Gunung Mulu towards the sea has cut deep gorges through the Park’s limestone mountains and, within the rock itself, a complex network of vast caves has been formed. Among these caves, Lang Cave, Deer Caver, Clearwater Cave and Sarawak chamber are the most popular. Mulu continues to retain this sense of adventure associated with its’ original exploration through the provision of adventure caving and other adventure activities such as climbing Pinnacles, hike Gunung Mulu, Night Jungle wall and etc. Beside that, Gunung Mulu has an exceptional level of biological diversity with over 3,500 species of plants recorded in the park. These include a variety of highly specialized orchids, pitcher plants, palms, gingers and a most unusual ‘One Leaf’ plant to be found at the entrance of certain caves. There is also a large diversity of fauna species that include deer, monkeys, giant porcupine, civets and all of Borneo’s hornbills. Gunung Mulu is certainly a perfect destination for adventure seekers, especially for those who likes cave exploration.

10. Sarawak Cultural Village

The Sarawak Cultural Village is another favourite destination in Sarawak state. This village is situated about 35 km from Kuching, capital city of Sarawak and tucked away on the foothills of Mount Santubong with a built up area of 14 acres. This traditional village also referred to as a living museum and depicts the heritage of the major racial groups in Sarawak and conveniently portrays the respective lifestyle. It boasts seven ethnic houses representative of the Malay, the Chinese, the Penan and the longhouses of the Bidayuh, Iban, Orang Ulu and the Melanau. These houses display their skills in making traditional handicrafts such as beading, wood-carving, bamboo-carving, pua-weaving, and also show the traditional methods of making sago, and crushing sugar cane. One of the attractions in this cultural village is to take a look at how the Penans make blowpipes and other hunting instruments. Another highlight is cultural dance performed by award-winning dancers and musicians present their famous multi-cultural performances. Some of the annual events held at the Sarawak Cultural Village include the Gawai Open House (Dayaks' Harvest Festival) in June and the Rainforest World Music Festival, usually in July of each year. The Sarawak Cultural Village is indeed a unique destination for a memorable family adventure vacation.

Shift of Magnetic Pole Could Be the Killer of Birds and Fish

The temporary close of the international airport in Tampa, Florida is due to a shift of the magnetic pole has shifted also the possibility of massive bird, fish and other animal deaths to this reason.

Since 2007, the north magnetic pole of Earth was drifting at a rate of 35 miles per year in the direction towards Russia. As a result, the airport was forced to adjust the signs on its busiest runway because pilots depend on Earth’s magnetic field through the compass to navigate.

Same as the birds and other animals use the Earth’s magnetic fields to navigate through their built-in compasses. Scientists have suspected birds’ eyes contain molecules that are thought to sense Earth’s magnetic fields. In a new study, the researchers found that these molecules are linked to an area of the brain known to process visual information. In that sense, birds may see the magnetic fields.

A rapidly shift of magnetic pole will completely influences the magnetic fields that may causing the animals confuse or panic while moving toward a destination. According to a media indicates that a complete inversion of magnetic poles could send the birds flying south in the summer and north in the winter which may causing to deaths. But experts say a further studying and testing will need to be done to determine whether a shift of magnetic fields played any part in animal deaths.

When talking about the magnetic fields that causing the deaths of the bird and fish have recalled those who had seen the box office movie ‘The Core’ which was showed on 2003. With the story lines reflect that the Earth’s inner core has stopped from rotating, causing the magnetic field to rapidly deteriorate that will bring disasters to the world. Hopefully this movie story would not come true, because at this moment the world still do not have such technology which may bring humans deep into the Earth.                

100 storey mega tower - Not Now

Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has announced in 2011 budget with proposed that a 100-storey mega tower will be build in the centre of Kuala Lumpur. This mega tower with the name of Warisan Merdeka at a cost of RM5 billion (USD1.6 billion) is expected to be completed on 2015. The project is one of the Malaysia government’s strategies to stimulate the country economy.

To build a mega tower is not the only way to boost current economy.  Whilst, people are more emphasize the consistency and long-term economic growth. To achieve these goals, the government should create more job and business opportunities in the community. Attract more foreign investments by providing competitive incentives and skill labors. By doing these, the country needs many professions in different fields. But how to increase the number of these profession workers. The best way is to provide more scholarships to talented pupils. Let them have the chances to become one of the professions in any field and come back to contribute their skills and knowledge to the nation. The country needs hundred and hundred dozens of talent and profession workers but not a 100-storey mega tower.

Besides creating business opportunities, the government must move another step forward by providing more credit facilities, technical supports, incentives, tax exemption to the potential entrepreneurs. Especially to small and medium size industries. With these supportive tools, they have the chances to expand their businesses by producing and providing more quality products and services. Let the “Made in Malaysia” products and services to be more reliable and dependable with competitive price. The entrepreneurs need hundred percent supports from the government rather than a 100-storey mega tower.

Malaysia as part of the world has responsibility to protect the earth in fighting against global climate change. More investments to low carbon development are necessary to reduce the exceeding used of carbon. Allocation of bigger funds should be channeled into the Green Technology Financing Scheme (GTFS). Since the cost of the alternative of using the carbon are still at an expensive level. Government, public and private sectors should use this opportunity to invest more in these sustainable technologies which will benefits the nation and at same time to fight against climate change. Let the money used to green the world better than used to pollute it.   

The abilities of Malaysia government or government link agencies were never been doubted. Even the larger projects the government has effectively performed. But the question is the benefits and necessities of the project. The country just came out from the border of recession. Many things had to be put in reconsideration and attention, especially the government debt. From the source received the total national debt was more than 50 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That was a critical level for a country. People sure do not want the government debts increase as high as 100-storey mega tower which is the world top ten highest. 

Other than talking about economy, the social of a country cannot be abandoned. That was part of the commitment for a government to protect and help the nation by providing quality medications and better living standard. A huge amount of money had to spend into society to help in needs. Welfare benefits should be reached to those who qualify. Do not let them suffer due to lack of funds. People would like have a good and caring community but not a beautiful skyscraper where is surrounded by miseries.

Every decision taken by the government is directly influenced the economy and social of a country. The government should reconsider the interests of the whole nation before taking any final conclusion. Future and hopes of a nation are totally dependent to a good or bad of the government policies

Rain Betting

In south-east Asia, there is a place called Taiping located at Perak state of Peninsular Malaysia. Taiping is a town nothing difference from others with population approximately of 200,000. The sources of income mainly come from plantation and businesses, especially in oil palm.

This town is in a valley with whole year receiving high volume of rain water. The daily few hours’ raining may continuously until two to three weeks and sometime may up to a month long. Can be said the wettest town in whole Malaysia. Because of raining regularly, certain people in the town start to predict weather, whether is raining day or not and the time of raining. Slowly this weather prediction become famous and turns up to be a game. They started the game in Centre Market in middle of the town. There you can see several people are always looking at the sky. If you are outsider you will wonder what these people are looking for. Is that a UFO in the sky? No, they are actually looking at the clouds and base on the experience they have and predict or forecast a raining time. That is funny. But I can tell you the true, what these people forecast are more accurate than our National Weather Forecasting Center. The center only informs whether raining or not and never in detail.  Here, they will tell you exactly the time of raining without any sophisticated equipment.

Every game has rules and regulations including this game. After forecasting, an official raining time will be set (For example 3.00 pm is the official time) and each official time is referring to a small clock hanging on the wall of the market. Then they start betting between each others whether the rain will fall before or after the official time. If one party bets raining is before the official time then the other must bets oppositely. After all the bets done and agreed with the betting amount, and the following step is waiting. Wait for raining and at the same time wait for the result. Once rain starts falling cannot consider as a result, sometime the whole ground already saturated with water still no result yet.  The final result must be waited until the first drop of rain water falling from a small portion of the market’s roofing which has been fixed. If water fall after the official time that is 3.00 pm onward then the participants whom bet on that will be the winners and vice-versa. Sometime the water drop from the roof just a few seconds from the official time and every participant will feel thrilling in this situation. This shows that the accuracy of the forecasting is amazing.
  

Until today, this game has been played for three decades. But the quantities of the participants are going less day by day. Most of the older participants no longer there and the younger do not   interest in this type of game. They prefer more on soccer betting, online betting and horse racing which can be played in any place.